Sterilizing apparatus.



J. F. ARMSTRONG. STBRILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 1911.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHBET l.

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By TORNEYS J. F. ARMSTRONG.

STBRILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1911.

1,056,619, Patented Mar.18,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

STATES PATENT onnioE.

i JOSEPH Fi ARMSTRONG,l 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0SIMON GINSBERG, 0F NEW Y0R K,YN. Y.

sTnaILIzING APPARATUS.

Specicationof Letters Intent. u Application led Hay 26,' 1911. SerialNo. 629,681.

more special `purpose being to thus sterilizemilk in order to render itsanitary and promote-its preservation.`

More particularly stated, myr sterillzlng apparatus `isso'constructedand operated asto cause vmilk to flow along appath of considerablelength, and to expose said milk to the-action of ultra-violet lightrays.

pedestals 5 supporting at their tops annular' Myl .invention Vfurthercomprehends, for' this purpose, an yimproved form of Vmercury vapor lampfor producing the ultra-violet rays.

' My invention still further contemplates the protection of the vaporlamp from in.

jury by contact with the milk in consequence of certain parts of thelamp being heated.

My invention also-includes a number of separate improvements whereby thevarious portions of the apparatus are rendered more readily accessibleto the operator.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vert-ical section, substantially o-n the line 1-1 of Fig.2, 'looking in the direction of the arrow, and showing my improvedsterilizing apparatus as a whole; Fig.42 is a section on the line 2-2ofFig. l, looking in .the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 3 is afragmentary section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the directionof the arrow, and showing the manner in which cert-ain parts of theapparatus are brought into communication with other parts thereof,inorder to allow a free circulation of the v milk and equalization of thevacuum pressure in different parts of the apparatus.

Extending upwardly froma' base 4 are bearingsv 6. Engaging thesebearings4 are trunnions 6 which support a vessel 7 having generally a"cylindrical .form -and provided with a thickened wa1l8.` A.'Iheivessel 7and rial transparent to ultra-violet rays.

Aspacingbetween the cylinders 15, 16 is unit'ormly distributed. Thesecylinders are 'integral with the annular heads 13, 14-a -space inquest-ion into 'understood from Fig. 2.

suitable material," but this instantie ja shown as of metal. lThethickenedwnll; provided with bevel-surfaces 8,-lfandg generally anannular form, as wlllI stood from Fig. 1. An annular head9`f1 fittedinto the upper end of the vessel .7 andil is made of glass. An annularheadv '10 .is

fitted into the lower end of the vessel 7 and cal, as will be understoodfrom Fig. 1. At

13 is lan annular head, the outer surface df which mates the innersurface 11 of the annular head 9, and at 14 is an annular head, theouter edge of which mates the adjacent 'surface 12 of the annular head10. A cylinder 15, of quartz glass, German glass, or other materialtransparent to ultra-violet rays, is fused to the annular heads .13, 14.Disposed concentrically within the cylinder 15 isv another cylinder 16made also of matel'esult easily accomplished because all of the partsaffected are of glass, the only difference being that the heads 13, 14,being of ordinary glass, are opaque to ultra-violet rays. Similarly,cylinders 17, 18, of glass transparent to ultra-violet rays, are fusedto the heads 13, 14. The cylinder 18 is smaller than the cylinder 17. lAnumber of walls 19, of glass preferably transparent to ultraviolet rays,extend from the head 13 to the head 14 and divide into compartments thespace existing between the cylinders 16, 17. In this particular instanceI provide four of these walls 19, thus dividing the annular quarters, aswill be Mounted upon the annularluheadi'14-and its thickened 4walll8 maybe made of.

The

Patented Mar. 18, v1913.V I

disposed. radially in relation to each other are a number of conduits'20, each having in section an arch-like form, as will be understoodfrom Fig. 3. Mounted upon the re- 'spective conduits 2() are tubularvmembers 21,

each tubular member 211being concentric with the conduit 20 with whichit is associated-.i Between each tubular member 21 .and 'the-conduit 20through which it-exof an arch, as will be understood from Fig. i

5. llaeh tubular member 2l, because of its tubular form, is providedwith a straight passage 23, this passage being substantially concentricwith the adjacent passage 22. Each passage 22V extends .from thecylinder 16 to the cylinder 17 and through these cylinders, thus merginginto the annular space between the cylinders l5, 16, and also merginginto the annular space between the cylinders 17, 18. l The conduit 20and the tubular member 21 are both made of glass transparent toultra-violet rays. The upper surface of each conduit 20 merges into theadjacent wall 19, as will be understood from Fig. 3.

The annular head 13 is provided with handles 24, by aid whereof the headand all other parts connected with it lmay be lifted bodily upward. Theannular head 13 is provided centrally with an openinor of frustoconicalform, and detachably fitting into this opening is a plug 25 of glassprovided with a handle 26. Another plug 27, having likewise asubstantially frusto-conical form, is fitted into an opening in theannular head 14, this opening being for this purpose of a truste-conicalform. A pipe section 28 extends upwardly through the plug 27. Asubstantially U-shaped tube 29- made of glass transparent toultra-violet rays is connected with the pipe section 28 by aid of alscrew joint 30. I provide a number of e-lectrodes 31 made of carbon orother appropriate conducting material. Each electrode is connected witha particular binding post 32 and is supported directly by the annularhead 13. I provide other electrodes 33 which are disposed in closeproximity to the head 14 and supported thereby. The electrodes 33 areconnected with binding posts 34. The

.electrodes 31, 33 are of disk-like form and are disposed within therespective compartments between the radial walls 19, and also betweenthe cylinders 16, 17, as will be unders'tood from Fig. 2. In each ofthese compartments is a quantity .of mercury 35 in which theelectrcde 33is submerged. A battle plate 36of metal extends through the annular head13 and adjacent to an opening 37. A valve casing 38 is mounted upon thevessel 7 and controls the opening 37. Another valve casing 39 isconnected with a pipe section 40 which joins the pipe section 28.

, A valve plug 41 is provided with an openpassage through the pipesection 4o.

ingI 42' which is adapted to register with thiJ solenoid 43 is, mountedabove the valve casing 39 and is provided with a movable core 44 whichis connected directly with the valve plug 41. /Vhenever the solenoid 43is energized, the core 44 is lifted, carrying with it the valve plug 41,the opening 42 of which is thus brought into registry with the pasl sageof the pipe section 40. Another solenoid 45 is provided with a movablecore 46 which is connected rigidly with a valve plug 47 and is adaptedto lift the same wheneverthe solenoid 15 is energized. The mechanism inthe two valve easings 38, 39 is ident-ical. A wireI 48 is connected witha number of wires 4f) and leads to a binding post. 32, the wires 4S)leading to various other binding posts, not shown, and disposed incorresponding positions to the binding post 32. The wire 48 is alsoconnected with a hand switch 50, the latter being connected withanalternating main 51. Connected with this main is a wire 52 which leadsto a hand switch 53. From the latter a wire 54 leads to the solenoid 45.Another alternating current main is shown at 55. A wire 56 leads from itto the solenoid 43 and from the latter a wire 57 extends to the solenoid45. A pipe 58 is connected with the valve casing 38 and is used forsupplying the milk to be sterilized. A pipe 5S) is connected with thevalve casing 39 and leads to a vessel for receiving the sterilized milk.A wire 60 is connected with the alternating main 55 and with the bindingpost 34. Several other wires 61 are A'connected with the wire 60 andlead to the other various binding posts (not shown) corresponding withthe binding post 34.

. The annular space between the cylinders 15, 16 isa vacuum; that is,the air is exhaustedy from it as nearly as possible. This vacuum, actingupon the principle of the well-known thermos bottle, prevents heat fromthe cylinder 16 from being communicated to the milk. It also preventsthe milk (which is comparatively cold). from cracking the cylinder 16which, because of the material of which it is composed, mightotherwisebe very easily broken by inequalities in heat. The four quarters of thecylinder 16 and the four partitions 19 for subdividing the interior ofthis cylinder 16 into quarters, practically subdivide the cylinder 16and its contents into four quartz glass elements each working upon theprinciple of'a mercury vapor vacuum lamp.

The operation of my apparatus is as follows: The hand switches 50, 53are first closed. This closes an electric circuit which may be traced asfollows: 'alternating main 55, wire 56, solenoid 43, wire 57, solenoid45, wire 54, hand switch 53, wire 52, to alternating main 51, thence tosource of supply and back to alternating main 55. This energizes the twosolenoids 43, 45 and by causing them to lift their respective cores 46,44, the valve plugs'47, 4l are raised. The result is that the milk flowsfreely into the vessel l7 through the pipe 58, and milk is free to Howout through the pipe 40 andv opening 42 in the valve plug 4l, ashereinafter described. Another circuit is also Lozano closed as follows:alternating main 55,

wire 60,.binding post 34` electrode 33, merl cury35, vacuum space a ovethis electrode, electrode 31, binding post 32, wire 48, .switch '50,alternating main 51, to source 'of supply (not shown), thence back toalternatlng main 55. As the wires 49 branch Afrom the wire 48 and areconnected with other electrodes positionedsimilarly to the electrode 31,and as the wires 61 branch from the wire 60 and are connected to bindingosts similar to the binding post 34, it foll t-hat the current may bedistributed inparallel to several' electrodes 31, and that it passesthence to the adjacent bodies of mercury 35. The next step is to tiltthe vessel 7 so that the mercury 35 is brought into engagement with theelectrodes 31. This tilting is done by virtue of the fact that thevessel 7 is mounted upon trnnions 6n which turn within the annularbearings 6. The vessel having been tilted so that the several currentsflowthrough the vacuum spaces,`

the lapparatus can do the work of a number of mercury vapor tubes. Themilk from the pipe 58, after passing through the valve casing 38 andopenings 37, flows against the baile plate -36 and then spreads out andfiows downwardly, filling up the compartment into which it has entered,and passing downwardly along the inner surface of the thickened wall 8is exposed to strong radiation. That is to say, the ultra-violet lightpassing readily through the cylinders 16, 15, and the vacuum spacebetween them enters the thin layer of milk between the cylinder 15 andthe thickened wall 8, being thus completely sterilized. The milk nowpasses downwardly to the proximate bottom of the vessel 7 and flowsthrough the passages 23 in the conduit 20, thence into the cylinder 18.,Here it spreads out and Hows in an indefinite direction, but for themost part 4Hows upwardly and around the tube 29. The milk within thecylinder 18 circulates quite freely and is exposed to more radiation.Indeed, it is subjected to powerful radiation while in the act ofpassing through the conduit 20 and before entering the cylinder 18. Themilk within the cylinder 18 upon reaching the level of the upper end ofthe U-tube 29 starts a siphoning action by this tube and passesdownwardly through the pipe sections 28 and 30, valve casing 39 and pipe59, to the vessel forl The milk is thus completely operator can lift theplug 27 along with the ows 3 U-tube, completely out ,0i thafcylinder-a vAgaln', the operator,'b asping .the#licitaV dles 24, can lift all o t ec lindersas 'A unit directly out of the vessel Y.

' My purpose in. .renderin thefwe'illsj parts so readily accessible 1stoffacilita'te cleaning these parts.l As the-'cores-', 44 are raisedsimultaneously, theinlet and outlet for the milk are, of course,operatedisib multaneously, and 'consequently the :lmilk withinthe vesselmaintains a constant level. Nevertheless, for purposes of emptyi andcleaning theA apparatus, vif the flow o milk through the p1 e 58 bestopped, the apparatus 1s soon c eared of its' contents bythe action ofthe siphon. 'l

It will be noted that as themilk passes along' around ythe inner surfaceof the thickened wall 8, the milk is s read into a very thin layer andsubjectedP to very intense radiation. The milk, while thus embodied in athin layer, travels quite rapidly, how- 'ever, so that the exposure islong at points above and below the thickened wall 8. I thus expose themilk practically in two ways-first, in a thick mass or volume moving orcirculating slowly, and second, in-a thm layer, the mllk in this formcirculatin quite rapidly. Besides this, I give the mil various otherexposures, especlally when it passes through the conduits 20 and as itcirculates within the cylinder 18 preparatry to entering the U-tube 29."As this tube is of glass transparent to ultra-violet rays, the milkreceives a still further exposure in passingupwardly and then downwardlythrough the tube. Altogether the milk is exposed about half a dozentimes to the radically the entire action of the apparatus is'electrical.

I do not limit myself to the particular construction shown, nor to theuse of the particular materials enumerated, the scopeA of my inventionbeing commensurate with my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent: s

1. A sterilizing apparatus, comprising a cylindrical member made ofmaterial transparent to ultra-violet rays, means for genera-ting saidultra-violet rays and causing the same t0 pass into said cylinder,mechanism for causing milk to flow into said cylinder, a sipho-n locatedwithin said cylinder and leading outwardly from the same in order todraw ol" the liquid contained within said cylinder, and means forsupplying said liquid into said cylinder.

2. A sterilizing apparatus, comprising a esv pair of cylindersconcentric to eachother, partition walls extending from one of saidcylinders to the other so as to separate the -intervening space into aplurality of compartments, said compartments containing vacuums,electrodes disposed within said vacuums, means for energizing saidelectrodes in order to generate ultra-Violet rays, and mechanism forexposing a liquid to the action of said ultrasviolet rays.

3. In a sterilizing apparatus, the combination of an outer vessel ofsubstantially cylindrical form provided with annular heads, a pluralityof lamps connected together and provided with annular heads mating saidannular heads of said outer vessel so that said plurality of lamps, as aunit, may be placed Within said vessel or removed therefrom at the willof the o er ator, and means for causing a liqui to How between saidouter vessel and said plurality of lamps.

4. In a sterilizing apparatus, the combination of an outer vessel ofsubstantially cylindrical form, a cylinder disposed Within said outervessel and concentric to the same,

lamps for generating ultra-violet rays disposed between said c linderand said outer vessel and provide with walls through which ultra-violetrays may pass,condu1ts for maintaining communication from said cylinderto the space immediately within said outer Wall, and means forcirculating a liquid through said space, said conduits and saidcylinder.

5. A sterilizing apparatus, comprising a cylinder made of materialtransparent to ultra-violet rays, said cylinder being adapted to holdmilk, a Siphon disposed within said cylinder, a plug engaging saidSiphon and removable therewith from said c linder, a plug for closingsaid cylinder, andy means for exposing said cylinder to the action ofultra-violet rays.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH F. ARMSTRONG. Witnesses:

LUDWIG C. TRAUBE, BARNEY FISCHER.

